The Joshua Redman Trio, featuring world-class jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman, will be performing Friday at North Georgia College & State University's Hoag Auditorium.

The Joshua Redman Trio also features Reuben Rodgers on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

Redman has played with such varied artists as jazz legends Dave Brubeck, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea to mainstream artists The Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones.

He has been nominated for two Grammys and has earned top honors in critics and readers polls in the magazines DownBeat, Jazz Times, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone.

Andy David, head of the university's Department of Performing Arts, is excited to welcome Redman to campus.

"To have an artist of this caliber perform on the Hoag Auditorium stage is a real step forward for the university's cultural milieu," he said.

"In the recent past, we have hosted some wonderful artists including Brad Mehldau, The Eroica Trio and The American Brass; but, Joshua Redman is one of the most well-known figures in the musical world.

"His appearance here is an opportunity for our students, faculty, and community members to have a live interaction with an artist who is breaking down musical barriers and leading the jazz world in a new direction. It will be an unforgettable evening."

Born in Berkeley, Calif., Redman is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dance Renee Shedroff. His list of early influences is as varied as the musicians with whom he has collaborated throughout his career: John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Police, Led Zeppelin and Earth Wind and Fire.

He graduated summa cum laude from Harvard in 1991 and was accepted to Yale Law School. That same year, he landed a contract with Warner Bros. Records by winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition and instead turned to music full-time.

He has released a number of albums since his Grammy-nominated, self-titled debut in 1993, the most recent being "Compass" in 2009.

All tickets are general admission and cost $30; tickets are free to students, faculty and staff of North Georgia College & State University who present their ID card. Tickets are available online at www.ngcsuperformingarts.org or www.northgeorgia.edu/music. All tickets will be held at will call; patrons should bring their PayPal receipt and a photo ID.